Android Question [SOLVED] Could not share my apk through GDrive - flagged for abused

incendio · Oct 5, 2020

Hi guys,

I shared a few apk in Google Drive. No problem so far, until recently.

There is 1 apk that, previously can shared without a problem, but know, when I uploaded the new version of this apk to GDrive, a few second later, it flag for abused.

I changed the filename and uploaded again, the result was the same. Others apk I uploaded at the same time didn't have this problem.

So, I guess there were changes in GDrive policy that caused this.

Has anyone here experience the same problem?
Could it be that the file/files in the apk caused this flag? Compiled it with B4A 10.

JohnC · Oct 5, 2020

What happens if you:

1) Put the APK in a zip file.
2) Rename the .APK to .ZIP

Does the app do anything that could be interpreted as bad?

incendio · Oct 5, 2020

JohnC said:
What happens if you:

1) Put the APK in a zip file.
2) Rename the .APK to .ZIP

Does the app do anything that could be interpreted as bad?

1) & 2) It was still flagged for abuse

The app it a data entry app with jRDC2, other app that have the same operations didn't flagged as abuse.

Got email from Google, said that the apk contain virus/malware/destructive code.

It was OK before, on the updated apk that flagged abuse, I only change the address to my new VPS.

Erel · Oct 5, 2020

Are you using your own private signing key?

incendio · Oct 5, 2020

Yes. Why?

All apks use private key, none of them have this problem.

Erel · Oct 5, 2020

incendio said:
Why?

Using the debug key can cause such problems.

I guess that it is a false positive. It happens.

incendio · Oct 5, 2020

So, is there a solution?

I have uploaded this apk like 30x without problem, until now.

DonManfred · Oct 5, 2020

I do use Dropbox; Dropbox does´nt care about what files you are using.
A Dropboxlink can easily emailed with google too.

incendio · Oct 5, 2020

Before gdrive, I used Dropbox too.

But when sometimes ago, Dropbox changed it user interface, some of novice users have difficulties to download the file in Dropbox via browser in their phones, so I changed to gdrive, that at the time, till now, solved the problem.

I will try again Dropbox and One Drive.

I never try to upload this apk to play store, but I suspect it will also be blocked by play store.

JohnC · Oct 5, 2020

incendio said:
So, is there a solution?

I have uploaded this apk like 30x without problem, until now.

If you modified the apk and now it causes this problem, then maybe the mods you made are resulting in a false-positive signature that looks like malware to googles servers. If so, then slightly modifying that same section of code a little more might cause that section of code to no longer produce a malware signature, so it wont be falsely flagged by google anymore.

Its a long-shot hunch, but it just might work.

incendio · Oct 6, 2020

I deleted the flagged file first, changed the code from this

B4X:

Sub Process_Globals
   Public PUB_LNK As String = "https://drive.google.com/open......"
End Sub

Into this

B4X:

Sub Process_Globals
   Public PUB_LNK As String
End Sub

Sub Activity_Create(FirstTime As Boolean)
   PUB_LNK= "https://drive.google.com/open......"
End Sub

then uploaded again to GDrive, create new link for the new uploaded file and it worked!

New File didn't flag as abuse.

Don't know why this happen, caused all other apks assign a string value in Sub Process_Globals and didn't have problem, but this one does.
May be Erel could give a hint abut this.

For safety, from now, I will not assign variable value in Sub Process_Globals again.

Erel · Oct 6, 2020

Have you used obfuscation? With the first code snippet the string will be obfuscated.

incendio · Oct 6, 2020

Yes, I use obfuscation.

Erel · Oct 6, 2020

The anti virus decided that the obfuscated string is harmful. This is of course incorrect.

incendio · Oct 6, 2020

Erel said:
The anti virus decided that the obfuscated string is harmful. This is of course incorrect.

You were right.

And Google support is terrible, they replied with formal stuff, I think it was a bot that replied my email.

Search the net and found that this problem has happen a lot to others people, but still no solution.
They are to big to handle this kind of matter.

Luckily, on this forum, I got quickly and satisfaction supports

JohnC · Oct 6, 2020

incendio said:
I deleted the flagged file first, changed the code from this

B4X:

Sub Process_Globals Public PUB_LNK As String = "https://drive.google.com/open......" End Sub

Into this

B4X:

Sub Process_Globals Public PUB_LNK As String End Sub Sub Activity_Create(FirstTime As Boolean) PUB_LNK= "https://drive.google.com/open......" End Sub

then uploaded again to GDrive, create new link for the new uploaded file and it worked!

I am glad my hunch helped fixed the issue for you!

Android Question [SOLVED] Could not share my apk through GDrive - flagged for abused

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